122 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



^'Drenches are mostly administered from along-necked, 

 thick, glass bottle, or drenching horn. Take hold of the 

 nose with the left hand, by putting the thumb and finger 

 in the nostrils, while an assistant takes hold of the horns, 

 and tips the head back. Standing on the right side of 

 the animal, with the right hand put the neck of the bottle 

 in the right corner of the mouth, and pour the medicine 

 in slowly. After the bloating has been relieved, it is a 

 g-ood plan to give the animal a purgative — one pound of 

 Epsom salts, with one-half pound common salt, for 

 cattle; and for a sheep, six ounces of Epsom salts and 

 three ounces of common salt, dissolved in plenty of warm 

 water, and given as a drench. The animals should also 

 be dieted until their digestive organs regain their normal 

 condition. By dieting, I do not mean starving, but 

 plenty of easily digested and nutritious food. An animal 

 that bloats once is very liable to bloat again. By judi- 

 cious handling and feeding, by watching animals closely, 

 and treating them in time, few will be lost by alfalfa 

 bloating." 



ALFALFA AS A SOILING CROP 



Alfalfa may be cut for soiling just when it contains 

 the highest per cent of protein, while if pastured some is 

 eaten before its best period, the most of it after that 

 point is reached, and proba1)ly a large portion of the 

 leaves is lost entirely. Cut for soiling and fed daily, 

 when wilted, there is less danger from bloat, as in this 

 way animals will eat stalks as well as leaves ; the entire 

 product is used and there is no loss from trampling the 

 fields nor by plants being covered and smothered with 

 animal droppings. 



